Information to Help Prepare for Unit 5 Grammar Test

I pulled bits and pieces off the web to give you a bit better understanding what participial phrases, adverb clauses and adjective clauses are all about. Hope it helps!

Participles     A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. The term verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. However, since they function as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns. There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. Present participles end in -ing. Past participles end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, or -n, as in the words asked, eaten, saved, dealt, and seen.

A participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a participle and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the participle, such as:
Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river. The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Jack.
Removing (participle)
his coat (direct object of action expressed in participle)
Delores noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline. The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying cousin.
walking (participle)
along the shoreline (prepositional phrase as adverb)
Children introduced to music early develop strong intellectual skills. The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying children.
introduced (to) (participle)
music (direct object of action expressed in participle)
early (adverb)
Having been a gymnast, Lynn knew the importance of exercise. The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Lynn.
Having been (participle)
a gymnast (subject complement for Lynn, via state of being expressed in participle)

Placement: In order to prevent confusion, a participial phrase must be placed as close to the noun it modifies as possible, and the noun must be clearly stated.
Carrying a heavy pile of books, his foot caught on a step. *
Carrying a heavy pile of books, he caught his foot on a step.

Name_____________________________________  Score____________________

 

Participial Phrase Practice Sheet

 

Exercise on Participles:

Underline the participial phrase(s) in each of the following sentences, and draw a line to the noun or pronoun modified.

 

1.    Getting up at five, we got an early start.


2. Facing college standards, the students realized that they hadn't worked   hard enough in high school.


3. Statistics reported by the National Education Association revealed that seventy percent of American colleges offer remedial English classes emphasizing composition.


4. The overloaded car gathered speed slowly.


5. Gathering my courage, I asked for a temporary loan.

In each of the following sentences, underline the participial phrase(s), draw a line to the word(s) modified, and punctuate the sentence correctly. Remember that some sentences may not need punctuation.

6. Starting out as an army officer Karen's father was frequently transferred.


7. Mrs. Sears showing more bravery than wisdom invited thirty boys and girls to a party.


8. The student left in charge of the class was unable to keep order.


9. Applicants must investigate various colleges learning as much as possible about them before applying for admission.


10. The crying boy angered by the bully began to fight.

 


 

Participles

Exercise Answers:

Underline the participial phrase(s) in each of the following sentences, and draw a line to the noun or pronoun modified.

 

1. Getting up at five, we got an early start. [modifies we]
2. Facing college standards, the students realized that they hadn't worked hard enough in high school. [modifies the students]
3. Statistics reported by the National Education Association revealed that seventy percent of American colleges offer remedial English classes emphasizing composition. [1. modifies statistics; 2. modifies classes]
4. The overloaded car gathered speed slowly. [modifies car]
5. Gathering my courage, I asked for a temporary loan. [modifies I]

In each of the following sentences, underline the participial phrase(s), draw a line to the word(s) modified, and punctuate the sentence correctly. Remember that some sentences may not need punctuation.

6. Starting out as an army officer, Karen's father was frequently transferred. [modifies Karen's father]
7. Mrs. Sears, showing more bravery than wisdom, invited thirty boys and girls to a party. [modifies Mrs. Sears]
8. The student left in charge of the class was unable to keep order. [modifies student]
9. Applicants must investigate various colleges, learning as much as possible about them before applying for admission. [modifies applicants; note that applying for admission is a gerund phrase, not a participial phrase]
10. The crying boy, angered by the bully, began to fight. [both modify boy]


 

Adjective Clauses: Most of the time adjective clauses begin with the relative pronouns that, which, who, whom, or whose.

An adjective clause is a dependent clause which takes the place of an adjective in another clause or phrase. Like an adjective, an adjective clause modifies a noun or pronoun, answering questions like "which?" or "what kind of?" Consider the following examples:

:

The meat which they ate was tainted

This clause modifies the noun "meat" and answers the question "which meat?"

about the movie which made him cry

This clause modifies the noun "movie" and answers the question "which movie?"

they are searching for the one who borrowed the book

The clause modifies the pronoun "one" and answers the question "which one?"

Did I tell you about the author whom I met?

The clause modifies the noun "author" and answers the question "which author?"